THE PETS.

ETS, all sorts and sizes, cockatoos and monkeys,
Cats and dogs and magpies, guinea-pigs and
mice,
Birds as plain as Quakers, gay as powdered flunkeys,
Handsome pets and ugly, nasty pets and nice,
Lady, lord, and schoolboy, beggar, judge, and king,
Each and all, I warrant, has some petted thing.

  

Fattest of all spaniels, Dora sleeps on scarlet,
Wheezy, apoplectic, snappish, overgrown ;

Turns his nose at cold meat—saucy little varlet !
Never knows the true bliss of fighting for a bone.
Drop a tear on Dora, found upon the mat,

Fairly killed by kindness, fairly dead of fat !

Tears too for a bullfinch, who could fling his magic,
Joyous and enchanting, from the golden cage ;
For, in red red letters, cruel Fate and tragic
Wrote a sad, sad P’inis on life’s early page.

‘Twas the oft-told story of the open door,

And some little feathers on the parlour-floor !

Yet as we bewail thee, king of ail the finches,

Pets there are who’ve wished for such a bloody fate ;

Better die by headsman than by tardy inches.

Caged and hungry victim, pining, desolate,

Oft have eyes beseeching seemed, I think, to say,

‘Come, kind Death, I’m starving ; end my pangs, I
pray.’

Feathered pets and hairy, rabbit and canary,
‘Tabby cat and rimgdove—pets of every kind,
Welcome to my garden, welcome to my dairy,
Welcome to a warm spot in a loving mind:
Little Mercy says it, you shall never pine,

E will thins of your wants ere I think of mine!

G. 8. O.

THE THREE SONS OF WILLIAM
THE CONQUEROR.
Translated from the French.
y JILLIAM THE CONQUEROR was one day
in very depressed spirits. He therefore called
together his courtiers and said, ‘I wish you to tell
me the destiny of my three sons after my death.’

The councillors deliberated together and decided
to ask a question of each of the three princes, who
were then little more than children. The first who
entered the room was Robert.

‘Good sir, said one of the councillors, ‘ deign to
reply to this question. If God were pleased to make
you a bird, what bird would you wish to be?’ Robert
replied ; ‘I would rather be a falcon, for that bird
most resembles a great and valiant cavalier.’

William Rufus entered next, and in reply to the
same question he said :—

‘I would like to be an eagle, for that is the
ee powerful bird, and is also king over all other
birds,’

 

 

Next came Henry, the youngest of the three,
who was fond of study, and who was surnamed
Beauclere.

He replied, ‘I would like to be a starling, a
bird that is simple and good, and never harms
anybody.’ ‘

The councillors returned to the king and said ;
‘Robert will be hardy and valiant, and will acquire a
great name, but eventually he will be vanquished,
and will die in prison. William will be as powerful
as the eagle, but he will be hated by all for his
cruelty. He will lead an unhappy life, which will
terminate in a miserable death. Henry will live
happily ; he will be fond of peace. But notwith-
standing this, he will be dragged into war. He
will acquire great territories, and will make his name
illustrious, and in the end he will die a peaceful
death.’

William the Conqueror did not forget this pre-
diction at. his death-bed.-. He left Normandy to
Robert, England to William, and all the rest of his
earthly treasures to Henry, who in the end became
king of both countries,. and lived happily all his life-
time, and when he died was deeply lamented by his
subjects. P. HAILey.

 

 

STORIES ABOUT AMERICAN
INDIANS.
By Rev. E. B. Tuttle, U. S. Army.
WHERE DID
THE INDIANS COME FROM?

HE origin of the native
American Indians has puz-
zled the wisest heads.

The most plausible theory
seems to be that they are
one of the lost tribes of
Israel ; that they crossed a
narrow frith from the con-
fines of Asia; and that their
traditions, it is said, go far
to prove it.

For instance, the Sioux
tell us that they were, many moons ago, set upon by
a race larger in number than they, and were driven
from the north in great fear, till they came to the
banks of the North Platte, and finding the river
swollen up to its banks, they were stopped there,
with all their women, children, and horses. The
enemy was pursuing, and their hearts grew white
with fear. They made an offering to the Great Spirit,
and he -blew a wind. into the water, so as. to open a
path on the bed of the river, and thev all went over
in safety, and the waters, closing up, left their
enemies on the other side. This, probably, is derived
from a tradition of their forefathers, coming down te
them from the passing of the children of Israel

 

‘through the Red Sea.

Elias Boudinot, many years ago, and a minister in
Vermont also, published books to show that the
American Indians were a portion of the lost tribes,
from resemblances between their religious customs and
those of the Israelites. Later still, a converted Jew